Cable drum and automatic tension control



A ril zo 1926.

- 1,581,527 J. C. YINGLING v CABLE DRUM AND AUTOMATIC TENSION CONTROL Filed 001;. 26, 1922 Patented Apr. so, ieze.

warren s rata-s JOE-INrC. YINGLING, OIYDAYTON, OHIO.

CABLE DRUM ANI AUTOMATIC TENSION. CONTROL.

Application filed October as, 1922. Serial No. 597,005.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN G. YINGLING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in thecounty of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cable Drum and Automatic, llension Controls, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to drum reels and more particularly to reeling devices of the retriever type such as those used on electric cars for tensioning the trolley rope.

The device may be used in various applications such as for mooring ships, air or marine, etc., and with this in mind it is one object of my invention to provide a device of the character described that will be resiliently resistant to sudden shocks. It is another object of the invention to provide means whereby allpulling stresses may be resiliently and gradually taken up and the load gradually placed on the mooring means. For this purpose I provide means for limited unreeling of the drum under asudden stress on a cable attached thereto.

Further objects will appear from the description andclaims and from the drawing in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of my drum device in normal position.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the shock absorbing means under tension.

Fig. 3 is anend elevation of the drum and Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a portion of the mechanism.

A shaft 2 is mounted in suitable bearings (not shown) and may be driven by any adaptable means. A two part drum reel 4 is mounted to rotate thereon in bearings 6, 8 and this drum comprises a reel member 10 and an end member 12 secured together by fastening means 14. Interior of the drum member 10 and slidably splined by key 16, is a disc member 18 to which one end of a light spring 20 is secured as at 22; it is provided with a substantially annular groove 2 1 for reception of the spring 20 when compressed and with asemi-annular slot 26 through which passes one end 38 of a heavy spring 28 with asliding fit therein. The other ends of the springs 20, 28 are rigidly secured in the end member 12 as at 30, 32 respectively. The disc 18 has a lug 84 adapted to enga e a lug 36 on the drum 10 on one side un'er normal conditions and the other side of lug 36 under abnormal: conditions.

In operation, with a cable (not shown) passing from an object over the top of the drum shown in Figs. 1 and 2, away from the observer viewing those figures, the shaft will be driven in the direction shown by the arrow to wind the cable in. Any sudden torque on the cable whether due to sudden starting of the driving means, the inertia of the drum or load, or a sudden increase in load, will be absorbed by the springs, for as such conditions-occur, the drum will tend to rotate slower than the shaft, the torque will be absorbed by the spring 20 and subsequently by the spring 28 through the medium of disc 18 and slot 26. To illustrate by example, should shaft 2 be rotated in the direction shown and the drum 4: be held from rotation therewith, the force will be expended in driving disc 18 against the action of spring 20 which is designed to permit approximately 180 rotation of the shaft on compression, the disc sliding on spline 12 along shaft 2. Upon 180 movement of disc 18 with respect to drum 4:, the end 38 of spring 28, sliding around in slot 26 engages therewith and compresses spring 28 for a substantially 180 movement until the lug 34 on disc 18 engages on the far side of lug 86? on the drum. The spring may be designed to carry any desirable given load and an overload,

What I claim is 1. In a device of the character described, a power shaft, a drum reel revolubly mounted on said shaft, means mounted on said shaft fixed against rotation relative thereto but permitting of relative mot-ion longitudinally thereof, and a plurality of resilient means of successively greater resistance to distortion and interiorly of said drum operatively connecting said drum and said first named means.

2. In a device of the character described, a power shaft, a drum reel revolubly mounted on said shaft, a disk slidably mounted on said shaft but fixed against rotation relative thereto and a plurality of resilient means of successively increasing resistance to distortion operatively connecting said disk to said drum. v

3. In a device of the character described, a power shaft, a drumreel revolubly mount ed on said shaft, a disk slidably mounted on said shaft but fixed. against rotation rela tive thereto, alight spring operatively connecting said disk to said drum under force Within its elastic limit, and a heavier spring adapted to be brought into action to operatively connect said disk to said drum when the driving forces approach the elastic limit of said first named spring. i

4. In a device of the character described, a power shaft, a drum reel revolubly mount- 10 ed on said shaft, a disk slidably mounted on said shaft but fixed against rotation relative thereto, a light spring operativcly connecting said disk to said drum through substantially 180 of relative rotation therebetween and a heavier spring adapted to operatively connect said disk to said drum When the relative rotation therebetween exceeds 180.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JOHN G. YINGLING. 

